Modern communication systems have a large number of capabilities including integration of various communication modalities with different services. For example, instant messaging, voice/video communications, data/application sharing, white-boarding, and other forms of communication may be combined with presence and availability information of subscribers. Such systems may provide subscribers with the enhanced capabilities such as providing instructions to callers for various status categories, alternate contacts, calendar information, and comparable features.
When provided as individual communication services, each communication mode is typically associated with organization level, personal, and similar policies. Organization level policies may define when and how certain communications may be facilitated, what security measures have to be adhered to, and similar rules. Personal policies may be geared more toward automation and efficient handling of communications such as when and how communications associated with a particular subscriber may be forwarded, what to do when the subscriber is unavailable, or even how to handle incoming communications based on a source or type of the communication.
While enhanced communication systems integrating multiple communication modes emphasize user-friendly and efficient facilitation of these communications using a single user interface, for example, and taking advantage of complementary features, different modalities are typically subject to distinctly handled policies. For example, email policies are defined and enforced by enterprise email servers while voice communication rules are handled by a separate service.